King Without a Crown
by Adam Galaxy
Summary: Set before Blade. The Nightstalkers find a new recruit, and King has taken an interest to her. King and OC. COMMENT please, I think people don't like it, and I need to make it better. PLEASE!
1. The Night Life

Chapter 1

Anaïs waited in line to enter the club. She looked around, impressed by how many people were attracted to the venue. The sky had darkened quickly and the blue, purple, and white neon lights flashed across everyone's face. She turned to her best friend, Christina and smiled nervously.

"Calm down, Ana, it's gonna be fine!" Chris reassured her. She looked her up and down and raised an eyebrow.

"Are you seriously gonna wear that jacket all night?" she inquired. "Take it off," she coaxed for the hundredth time. Anaïs sighed resignedly and removed the coat. She looked down at her outfit with a pained expression.

"Isn't this a little too much?" she asked. She was wearing a metallic lavender empire waisted top, black cuffed shorts, and black gladiator sandals. She looked at her friend with a questioning look.

"Are you kidding me? You look _sexy_," Christina joked, knowing how much Anaïs despised the word. Chris laughed and leaned forward, adjusting the matching lavender headband in Ana's hair. They waited a few more minutes until they were finally admitted into the club. Christina grabbed Ana by the arm and dragged her to the dance floor and began to move her hips to the beat. Anaïs smiled self-consciously, still feeling stupid that she was wearing such an outfit. Christina grabbed Ana's waist and started moving them in line to the rhythm.

"Don't look, but someone's checking you out," Chris whispered, nodding in the opposite direction. Ana turned around and looked. She spotted the guy. He had tousled, honey colored hair, profound chocolate eyes, and an immaculately kept beard. He was wearing a black sweater, olive green cargo pants, and black boots. She kept looking at him until she noticed someone approach him. A girl. She had wavy auburn hair, bottle green eyes, and full lips. She had on black pants and a red and black vest over a grey long sleeve. She sat down next to him and whispered something in his ear. Then they both turned and looked straight at her. She turned her head quickly and inhaled.

"It looks like he's with someone, Chris," Ana said.

"Too bad. He's cute," she responded. She stopped dancing and looked around.

"What's wrong?" Anaïs asked, looking around as well.

"Nothing, nothing, I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, yeah, come to the bathroom with me," Christina said, trying to mask the urgency in her voice. They entered the clean bathroom and stood in front of the mirror. Chris sat on the counter and examined her nails while Anaïs entered a stall. Anaïs flushed the toilet and buttoned her shorts, adjusting them on her waist.

"That guy was cute, wasn't he?" she asked her friend. All she heard was silence.

"Chris?" Anaïs opened the stall and saw her own reflection staring back at her. She left the bathroom only to find chaos in the club. Everyone was running around and she heard screaming. She looked around and saw people _biting_ other's necks. She saw blood pour from necks and corpses. She was speechless. Anaïs felt a presence behind her and she turned. The guy with the beard stood behind her. She opened her mouth, but she could not bring herself to say anything. He raised his arm, and the next thing she saw was darkness…..

* * *

"King, you idiot, that wasn't her!" Abby yelled. She rubbed her temples and shook her head.

"What do you mean? You said the girl that was looking at us," he said, scratching his head. He stood up straight and crossed his arms, looking at Abby straight in the eye.

"I said the one _not_ looking at us," she sighed. He really needed to learn how to listen. He was such a…..guy.

"Well excuse me, Ms. Thing," King said in a girlie voice, snapping his fingers for effect. He huffed and put his gloved hands in his pockets. Abby rolled her eyes.

"So, what do we do with her?" he asked.

"I guess we'll have to take her back to the Hideout, ask her some questions. I mean, she was with a familiar. She could be one, too," she replied.

"Alrighty then," King said, picking up the girl and heaving her over his shoulder. They left the club discreetly, and entered the midnight black SUV. Dex nodded in salutation. Although they had anticipated tonight's commotion, they didn't expect to bring home a pet. They rode in silence, each of them busy with their own thoughts. They arrived at the hideout, and saw Zoë at her usual stake out place. She waved at them, and they waved back.

"Who is that?" the little girl asked.

"We don't know yet, munchkin," King said, ruffling her hair.

"She's pretty. Why is she sleeping?"

King looked at Abby guiltily. She raised her hands as if to say,"It's your problem."

"She's just a little tired," King said hastily.

"Sleeping Beauty," Zoë said, smiling up at them. King and Dex smiled, while Abby raised an eyebrow. They all entered the Hideout and King immediately took the girl to a spare room, letting Abby answer all the questions that were in store. He opened the door and placed the girl on the bed, making sure she wouldn't roll off. He turned on the lamp on the nightstand and the room was filled with an amber radiance. He turned and faced the girl. He hadn't had the chance to really check her out, especially since he had knocked her out cold. She had soft, mocha skin that shimmered in the light's glow. She had cat shaped eyes, and he wondered what color they were. Her hair was straight and black, accentuated by natural tawny highlights. He reached out and felt the side of her head, and sure enough, there was huge knot, covered by her thick, silky hair. His eyes roamed further down her body. She looked strong, but feminine at the same time. She had lengthy, shapely legs and hips, a soft looking stomach, and smooth arms that flexed when she moved. She was definitely a sight for sore eyes.

'Not bad, kid. Not bad at all," King said, stealing one more glance at her before leaving the room to let her rest and regain consciousness.


	2. Meet and Greet

Chapter 2

Anaïs woke with a start, startled by the thunder and lightning rumbling outside. Her face was covered in sweat and she wiped it. She looked around, noticing the unfamiliar surroundings. She looked around until she saw him again. The guy with the beard.

"Morning Glorious," he said, leaning back in the chair he was sitting in. He wore a white wife beater, khaki colored cargo pants, a black belt with a cow skull as a belt buckle, and the same boots he was wearing when she first saw him. His shirt exposed his body, showing off his sinewy muscles and his bulging veins. He tipped the chair forward and placed his arms on his thighs.

"How are you feeling?" he asked his eyes boring into hers. She looked at him, but she was too afraid to answer.

"I'm not gonna knock you out again, or anything," he joked, trying to lighten the mood. He stopped laughing as soon as he saw her scared expression. He cleared his throat and looked around, feeling a tiny bit flustered. She sat upright and her top rode up, exposing her stomach. He stared at it, but quickly looked away when she noticed him looking. She pulled down her top, blushing a little.

"I'm..fine," she whispered, answering his question. He looked up at her, a surprised expression on his face. Then he broke out into a smile, his eyes twinkling.

"So you do talk. What's your name?" he asked. She was hesitant to tell him her name, but he seemed trustworthy.

"Anaïs," she replied, avoiding his gaze. She continued to look around the sparse room.

"Anaïs? That's an ingenious name," he said sardonically.

"What's your name?" she countered.

"Hannibal. King." he said.

"I bet that's popular with the ladies," she said, feeling less frightened. He was taken aback by her sarcastic comment; she didn't look like the type that joked. He didn't let his astonishment show.

"They happen to love it," he said, leaning back again. She smirked at his egotism.

"Why am I here? And why did you hit me?" she asked, gently rubbing the side of her head.

"Your friend," he said to her.

"What? You wanted her number or something? She wouldn't have knock you out or anything," she said pointedly.

"Alright, enough with that, I'm sorry I hit you," he said childishly. "I didn't want her number. She was a familiar."

"Familiar?" Anaïs asked, looking him in the eye. He guessed that she didn't have the slightest clue to what he was talking about, so he showed her the one thing that he hated about himself. He lowered the waistband of his pants.

"What is that?" she questioned, looking at his pelvic region with interest. She reached out to touch it, but the material of his pants resumed their position. She looked up at him, then looked away.

"It's a vampire glyph," he said.

"Vampire glyph? You mean they exist? No. This is some joke right? I'm on Punk'd or something" she said.

"I wish. As much as you want Ashton Kutcher to walk through that door, he won't. He's probably fucking Demi this very second," he said in his usual crude manner.

"Vampires?" she said lowly.

"Yeah, it takes a while to get used to the idea," he said. "Anyway, your friend. Did she have something that looked like that?" he questioned. She tried to recall whether Christina had any markings on her body, and she remembered the day that they went to the beach and she saw a similar marking on her hip. She had meant to ask her about it, but had forgotten.

"Yeah, yeah, she did, on her hip," she said to King, looked dazed. "What do they mean?" she asked.

"It means she works for them," he answered somberly. She looked at him and began to back away.

"Then that means you work for them, too," she said.

"No, no, no, no, no, no," he said quickly, approaching her, "I used to be one. I'm not anymore. I was cured," he said, a look of hatred crossing his face.

"Cured?"

"Yeah. See? No fangs," he said, opening his mouth wide in front of her face. She chuckled lightly, and he grinned. She had a pretty smile.

"You hungry or anything?" King asked.

"A little."

"Well, come with me. You can met everyone and we'll you something to munch on," he said extending a hand in her direction. She looked at it, then took it. They left the room and headed toward the kitchen.

* * *

They entered the kitchen, and everyone turn to greet them. She recognized the beautiful girl with the auburn hair, but everyone else was foreign to her.

"Who's this?" a short man with dark hair asked.

"It's Sleeping Beauty!" a little girl with straight, coffee colored hair exclaimed. The girl smile up at her and she returned the sweet gesture.

"This is Anaïs. Anaïs, this little runt right here is Zoë," he said as he tickled the girl. She laughed and swatted his hand away.

"This is Hedges," pointing to the short man who had previously spoken, "Dex, Sommerfield, Abby" he concluded, nodding to the girl he had been with at the club. Abby nodded and gave Anaïs a small smile, which she returned.

"And I'm King, but you know that already," he said jokingly.

"Hi," she greeted all of them timidly.

"Now where's that biting wit that I was greeted with earlier? I'm sure everyone would love to experience that," King said expectantly, with his hands at his waist. Anaïs glared at him and felt herself blush.

"Don't worry about him," Abby said, "He just recently found out how much of a dick he was and he's not too pleased about it," she said, smiling.

"Hey! I'm standing right here, you know."

"What's your point?" Abby asked him. He scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"You know you love me, Whistler," he jokingly lisped. She flipped him the bird, and he blew her a kiss in return. Anaïs quietly laughed at the pair. The others had left and they remained. Whistler, as King had called her, was making tea, while he was looking through the cupboards.

"Alright, what are you hungry for?" he asked.

"Cereal?"

"What kind?

"Cap'n Crunch?"

"My favorite," he grinned, as he pulled out the box. He retrieved a bowl, a spoon, and some milk, and prepared it for her. He placed it in front of her and she began to eat it.

"So, Anaïs-,"

"You can call me Ana,"

"Why didn't you tell me that?" King asked. Whistler gave him a look, telepathically telling him to shut up.

"Ana," Abby began slowly, "did you suspect anything weird about your friend?" she inquired.

"Not really. Sometimes sketchy some people would come up to Christina, but I never really thought anything of it," she replied.

"Vamps," Abby said, looking at King.

"Or familiars," he added. Ana looked at both of them, not knowing what to do.

"You can't go back home," Abby said suddenly.

"Why?"

"They know who you are now. They'll hunt you down," she said, looking apologetic.

"Where am I supposed to go?" Ana asked them.

"Well, you can stay here," King suggested, "Do you know how to use a gun?"

"Here?" Abby whispered.

"Yeah, she can become a Nightstalker," he said. Abby looked skeptical, and for a long time silence filled the room. Then she spoke.

"We do need more people around, but I don't want to risk it," she said.

"Well," King started, "why don't we let her decide if she wants to stay?" They both turned and looked at her, the same way they had at the club. She remembered everything she had seen. So much death surrounded her. Something inside her told her that she couldn't let that happen anymore. She couldn't let those….._things_ do that anymore.

"I don't know how to fight," she told them.

"You'll learn," King said, taking a sip of his beer.

"I need to get my stuff," she said, "My clothes and stuff."

"You don't need clothes around here. I'm totally comfortable with nudity," King managed to say with a straight face. Abby gave him one of her looks.

"We have to be quick. They could be there," she said to Ana.

"Alright."

"Okay, let's go."


	3. The Versace Dress

Chapter 3

They arrived at Ana's apartment. They rode the elevator to the 5th floor and walked to her door. Ana retrieved her keys and unlocked the door. They entered the dark apartment and she felt along the wall for the light switch. The room was immediately bathed in light, and she rushed to her room. She grabbed a white and black duffel bag and a blue backpack from her closet. She grabbed all of her toiletries on her dresser, opened her drawers and grabbed underwear and shirts, looked through her closets for the rest of her clothes and shoes. She noticed King enter her room and paused to watch him, but then continued her task. She grabbed her laptop, ipod, and cell phone and dumped them into her bag. She made sure she had everything before she left her room. She turned and saw King playing with the Matryoshka doll on her dresser. He looked up.

"Cool," he said, giving it to her.

"Yeah," she replied as she placed it in her bag. The left the room and saw Abby leaning against a wall.

"Ready?" she asked her.

"Yup," Ana responded, stepping in front of the door and opening it, only to find Christina on the other end.

"What are you doing here?" Anaïs asked her.

"I came to see you," Chris responded, looking ashamed.

"Why? So you could lie to me again? I have _nothing_ to say to you," Ana side stepped her former friend and continued toward the elevator. Chris turned and grabbed her arm hard. Abby and King simultaneously pulled out their weapons.

"You can't just ignore me, Ana" Christina said fiercely.

"Watch me," Anaïs spat back, her hazel eyes flaming. She turned again and stepped into the elevator, Whistler and King following her.

"Ana, I thought we were friends," Christina said angrily.

"I thought we were, too," Anaïs said sadly. The elevator door closed and tears streamed down Ana's face. Abby smoothed her hair, trying to comfort her.

"It'll get better," King said quietly, sounding like a man, for once.

The threesome arrived back at the Hideout and Ana went back to the room that she had woken up in. She unpacked her things and sat on the bed, thinking about everything that had happened. She decided to shower so she could distract herself. She quickly bathed and washed her hair and emerged from the shower. She looked at herself in the mirror, noticing the sad look in her eyes. She was startled by someone entering the bathroom. _King, of course_. She turned back around and looked down.

"What's up, kiddo?" he said, wielding a small black bag in his hand. He stood next to her in front of the mirror and unzipped the bag, looking through it until he found what he was looking for, a razor.

"Hmm," she said, running a brush through her hair. She looked at him, noticing how smooth his bare chest looked and how his black Puma track pants hung on his waist, slightly exposing his glyph. He looked….good.

"Yeah, I just needed to shave my back. The ladies don't dig the hair," he joked. She tried to keep a straight face, but it was inevitable. She burst out laughing.

"I knew you thought I was funny. No one can resist my charming ways," he said in a British accent. He turned to look at her and grinned. He noticed how shiny her hair was and how it curled when it was wet. He watched as rivulets of water traveled from her neck, down her chest, and into the crevice that was hidden by the green towel that was wrapped around her voluptuous frame. Ana cleared her throat and continued to brush her hair.

"'Night," she said, suddenly leaving. She entered her room and sifted through her clothes. She picked out a white tank top and teal short shorts. She dressed and slipped into bed. She was exhausted.

King entered Ana's room to check up on her. He found her asleep, he hair all over the place, making her look wild. Her head was resting on a pillow and her leg was twisted around the cream colored comforter. He sat on the edge of her bed, enthralled by her eccentric beauty. He had had his share of women, alive and undead, but he had never seen anyone as striking as her. Although Whistler was fucking hot, they were more like brother and sister. Her face was peaceful and serene. He remembered how her hazel eyes looked like they were on fire, but she remained cool and tranquil. His eyes traveled down her form, trying with all his might not to run his hand down her body. He couldn't understand why he was so attracted to her, but he was. She wasn't one to pick fights, it seemed, but she could stand up for herself.

He reached out and brushed some strands of hair away from her face. She flinched at his touch and he rubbed her check to soothe her. He sensed someone in the room and turned to see Zoë looking at him.

"Hey, munchkin," he said, beckoning her. She walked over and sat on his lap. He placed his chin on her head and hugged her.

"Why is Ana so sad?" Zoë asked, looking up at him with her warm eyes.

"She was alone, kitten, but she has us now," he said, looking at Ana's relaxed face.

"I like her. I'll play with her so she can be happy," the young girl said.

"She'd like that."

King had put Zoë to bed and went to the kitchen to get some beer. He went inside to find Abby eating yogurt. She had on a black long sleeve and burgundy boy shorts.

"Couldn't sleep?" she asked him.

"I was checking up on Ana, and Zoë came in, so I put her to bed," he replied as he retrieved a bottle of Corona from the fridge.

"Huh," Abby said, leaning back in her chair, suppressing a smile.

"What?" he looked at her questioningly.

"Nothing," she said to him, shaking her head.

"Tell me."

"You like her, don't you?

"What? No! What the hell? How could you-," Abby raised an eyebrow.

"Is it that obvious?"

"You're like Jennifer Lopez's………………. Dior dress,"

"FYI- it was Versace," he said with a with an amused look. She gave him an incredulous look.

"Why do you know that?" she asked. He shrugged and gave her an boyish grin.

"Whatever, the point is that your completely transparent."

"I don't know what it is, but I can't stay away from her."

"Talk to her then. Get to know what she's like, see if you really like her."

"I agree," said a voice behind them. They turned to see Sommerfield standing behind them.

"See?" Abby said.

"Fine," King said, "You guys better be right."

"Are we ever wrong?" Abby asked. King just raised an eyebrow and left them.


	4. A Painful Blow

Chapter 4

Ana was awoken by the bright sunlight that bathed her room. She opened her eyes and saw the little girl, Zoë, sitting on the edge of her bed, staring at her. She wore a nightie, with little Hello Kitties printed on them. Zoë smiled and scooted closer to her.

"I brought toys so we could play," she said, holding out a doll. Anaïs smiled, feeling happy that the young girl was trying to make her feel better. She sat up and pushed her hair back.

"I would love to play with you, Zoë. Let me brush my teeth first, okay?" Zoë nodded. Ana found a white hoodie and slipped it over her head, leaving the hood on. She found her toothbrush and left the room. She tried to find the bathroom, but couldn't remember where it was. All the doors looked the same to her. She noticed an opened door, and decided to see if that was it. What she found was none other than King, standing near his bed in a towel, water dripping off his body. She immediately averted her eyes to the floor, feeling humiliated.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry," she said to the floor.

"No problem," King said, "You shouldn't be sorry that you got to see such a wonderful sight," he said, grinning mischievously. She looked at him and raised a brow.

"I was kidding," he said, an jovial look on his face.

"Yeah, I figured," Ana responded, smiling a little. He smiled back.

"So, what do you need?"

"Bathroom?"

"It's three doors down," he told her.

"Thanks," she said quietly, turning and walking away.

"You are very welcome," he said, tilting his head to stare at her ass. She opened the door to the bathroom to find Abigail combing her wet hair. She looked in the mirror and smiled at Anaïs, her beautiful green eyes sparkling.

"Hey," Ana said, grabbing the toothpaste.

"Morning," Abby said, placing her comb near the sink. "How did you sleep?"

"Well," Ana responded with her mouth full.

"Good. We want you to start training as soon as possible, so your first lesson is in three hours. Is that okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, that's fine," Anaïs said in a passive manner.

"Okay, King will be waiting on the roof for you."

"King?"

"Yeah. You don't mind do you?"

"Mind?" Ana asked, "No, no, it's fine," she said, remembering the little incident that had just occurred.

"Alright," she said, smiling to herself as she left the bathroom.

* * *

Three hours later, Ana went up to the roof for her first training lesson. She wore black yoga pants with a turquoise dragon wrapping around her left leg. The pants hung low on her hips and exposed her stomach. She also wore black and white tanks and black flats. She braided her hair to keep it out of her face, but some loose tendrils remained. Ana looked around for King and saw him standing a few feet in front of her. He was warming up, punching and kicking the air. She watched as the muscles in his arms flexed and contracted and how sweat started to drip down his taut body. She wanted to wrap her arms around him and feel his body against hers. He stretched and turned around, finally noticing her.

"Hey, you ready?" he asked. She nodded and approached him. She smelled the clean, soapy smell coming off of him and imagined him in the shower. She shook her head, trying to concentrate. She looked at him expectantly.

"Okay, umm, before we do anything, why don't you stretch?' he suggested. She nodded and did as she was told. She sat on the ground and spread her legs, reaching towards either side. She stood up and did a split, not noticing how King was watching her. He watched as her top rode up, revealing her dark, smooth skin. He felt a little tickle south of the border and looked away to prevent any embarrassing moments. You never know when King Jr. was gonna pop up. She finished stretching and walked toward him.

"Okay," she said, looking up at him with her exotic eyes.

"Alright, I'm gonna teach you how to block first," he said. He taught her some techniques and showed her how to defend.

"Okay, I'm gonna attack and you defend," he told her. She nodded and assume her position.

"Ready?" King asked. She nodded. He brought his leg upward and aim toward her neck. She blocked it, but stumbled backwards.

"Hold your ground," he said, roughly. "Try to sense where I'm aiming and guard. Just concentrate." She nodded and closed her eyes. She focused and centered herself.

"Ready?" he asked again. She nodded, not moving. He tried to aim for her stomach this time, but she anticipated the hit and blocked it quickly, throwing an unexpected punch at his stomach. He doubled over, surprised at her attack. She gasped loudly and dropped to her knees, looking at him with a worried expression.

"I'm so sorry," she said, her eyes glassy, "It was a reflex," she explained lamely.

"You punch like Whistler," he said, lying on the ground. She tentatively rubbed his stomach, trying to make him feel better. His face became serious, looking at her longingly. He grabbed her hand to stop her.

"That tickles," King said in a low voice, sitting up and looking her in the eye. She stared back at him. He reached up with a gloved hand and tucked her hair behind her ears. She looked down, her skin burning with embarrassment. He tilted her face upwards, forcing her to look at him. He closed the small fissure between them, pressing his lips to hers. He trailed his hands down her arm as he kissed her silky, bee stung lips. He grabbed her waist and brought her closer, but she suddenly pulled away. She looked at him with apprehensive eyes and turned away from him, standing quickly and running away. He sighed, felling like he had completely fucked up.


	5. First Time

Chapter 5

"What the hell just happened?" Anaïs thought to herself. She paced back and forth in her room. She sat on her bed, pulling at her braid.

"I can't do this, I can't get attached," she said out loud. She couldn't trust anyone anymore, not after Christina had betrayed her. Although she didn't show it, she was scared out of her mind. There was no way that this was happening. Vampires? This couldn't be real. She tried to stay calm when King told her the truth, but inside, she was a mess. She wanted to pull her hair out and scream. She knew that if she didn't get it together, she wouldn't be able to survive. Ana clenched her fist.

"I need to be a rock," she told herself, "I can't let anything distract me." She thought about Abby and King and the rest of the Nightstalkers. Even though they were helping her, she couldn't trust them either; she barely knew them. She thought about what just happened, how King had kissed her.

He had been so…gentle. But she couldn't get close to him. She just couldn't risk it.

* * *

Weeks had passed since the little incident on the roof, and King felt as though he was going to explode. Anaïs was avoiding him and it killed him more and more each day. She wouldn't look at him or talk to him, and she would leave every time he entered a room. Abby had taken over her training and he would watch her. He loved how graceful and nimble she looked when she fought. It seemed as though she were dancing. He also love the way her face was composed and passive, as if nothing could bother her. He knew that he needed to talk to her, but he didn't know how. He usually made a joke to lighten the mood, but she wasn't very responsive to his humor.

Abby and Ana had finished their session, and Ana was drinking water from a blue bottle. King stared at her, his eyes running up and down her body until she looked up slowly. Their eyes locked and he felt a burning sensation flow through his whole body. Her hazel eyes blazed, resembling a lion's. She turned to leave, looking back at him once more before departing the roof. King ran a hand through his scruffy brown hair and huffed. He _really_ needed to talk to her.

He walk to her room a while later, knocking on the door twice. He heard shuffling from inside as he waited on the over end.

"Who is it?" Ana asked in her quiet voice.

"King," he said in a low voice. A few seconds passed before she opened the door. She emerged wearing low slung, dark wash jeans, a white, tight fitting thermal, and bright blue flip flops. Her hair was down and was pushed back by a white headband. He ogled her, completely forgetting what he was going to say. She looked up at him, her eyes intense and attentive. She cleared her throat expectantly, waiting for him to talk.

"Oh," he said, snapping out of his trance. He inhaled deeply, trying to calm the severe beating of his heart.

"Look," he began, "It's been weeks since we've spoken to each other and I'm sorry that I……kissed you, but we can't live like this. We can't act like the other person doesn't exist," he said exasperatedly. He looked at her pleadingly, waiting for her response. She sighed and looked down.

"I know," she said as she looked back up at him, "I'm sorry. I just didn't know how to react. I was surprised and I just kind of…..freaked out," she said, laughing a little. He exhaled, relieved that it wasn't awkward between them anymore. He scratched the back of his head.

"So, are we cool?" he asked.

"Yeah."

They stood there for a few moments until he finally walk off. He heard her door close and he looked back.

"At least she's talking to me," he said to himself.

* * *

Three days later, Ana was getting ready for her first hunt. She was dressed in a hunter green hooded track jacket with a black camisole, black, form fitting pants, and black high top Converse sneakers. She met up with King and Whistler in a room that she had never been in. It was full of guns and different weapons and artillery. She walked in quietly, careful not to touch anything, in case anything self-destructed or fired something. She watched them cautiously as they strapped guns and grenades to their bodies. She watched as Abby attached a white contraption to her lower back.

"What is that?" Ana asked. Abby smiled.

"It's a UV arc," she responded. She pressed a button and the thing expanded, a thin, long line of blue light extending from each of its corners. Ana looked at it, mesmerized. She reached out to touch the blue light, but Abby quickly retracted the arc.

"Unless you want your fingers to burn off, I don't think you should touch that," King said as he loaded a gun. He then walked over to her and handed it to her.

"You know how to use one of these, right?"

"Uhh.."

King glanced at Abby and she grinned and raised her eyebrows at him. Then they heard the gun go off and looked at Ana sharply. She stood there with her eyes wide, breathing sharply and shaking. King tried to stifle his laughter and taught Ana how to use the gun, in addition to some other weapons. He gave her some of the weapons, which she held in her hand since she had no strapping. King, Whistler, Ana and Dex all got into a black SUV and rode outside the Hideout. Abby sat in the front seat, telling Dex where they needed to go, while King and Ana sat in the back.

"Nervous?" King asked her, looking completely relaxed.

"A little."

"I live for this. It's like my purpose," he said, his voice venomous and his brown eyes smoldering. She had never seen anyone look like that and it….scared her. She then remembered that he had once been a vampire.

"He must want revenge," she thought, looking at his handsome, but now fierce looking face.

A while later they arrived at their destination, a large run down factory. They emerged from the car and Ana felt her heart beating rapidly. She started to breathe sharply to calm herself down.

"Chill out," Abby said to her, "Once you kill one of them, you'll get the hang of it," she said to her. They entered the building quietly, as to not attract attention. They climbed a staircase and hid. Ana saw their target: A group of very stylish vampires dressed in expensive looking designer clothes. She wondered why they bothered to reside on an old factory when they obviously had the money and power to live somewhere else.

"That cock-sucking, maniacal, conniving, little bitch" King whispered loudly.

"Shut up!" Abby whispered back.

"Who are you talking about?" Anna asked him quietly. He looked at her and pointed to one of the vampires. She had alabaster skin and black hair so dark it looked blue. Her eyes were blue, like all vampires, but they were vicious, as if her gaze could pierce through your very soul. Her black dress and plum colored blazer clung to her petite body and her stance emanated arrogance. The girl, if you could call her that, kicked one of the vampires in the head with her spiky heel, puncturing his skull.

"Who is she?"

"Danica Talos," King spat malevolently. He looked at Danica, his eyes full of disgust and tightened his grip on his gun.

"She's the one who turned me," He growled, looking almost animalistic. Ana felt guilty that she had brought it up and put a hand on his shoulder timidly. He looked down, trying to compose himself.

"What do you mean you can't find him!" Danica shouted, "He ruined the ritual! Him and that stupid little Robin Hood wannabe bitch! Find them and kill them! I want their heads on a platter!" she yelled.

"You want me?" King said, "Here I come, baby."

"Let's go," Abby ordered. They jumped from the staircase and fired their guns. Ana landed and looked around. She saw a vampire coming toward her. She started walking backwards.

"You're cute," he said to her, "Too bad I have to kill you," he laughed. Her eyes got glassy and she was panicking, but then she noticed the silver gun in her hand. She remembered what King had taught her earlier. She aimed for his forehead, and pulled the trigger. The vampire turned to ash. She exhaled and put her hands on her knees, relieved that she had killed him before he killed her. She heard a growl behind her and turned. A burly looking vampire stood there and lunged toward her. She aimed her gun, her hands shaking, but before she could shoot, a figure kicked the vampire in the stomach and upper-cutted him in the face. King backed away, protecting Ana as Abby shot the vampire in the heart with an arrow.

"Always be alert," Abby told her, as King stepped in front of her and shot the final vampire. Danica had disappeared and Ana was thankful that she didn't have to fight her. Yet, anyway.

They walked back to the SUV. Ana climbed in and rested her head on the seat. She breathed deeply, completely shaken.

"You look beat," King said, as he scooted next to her. She scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"Beat up is more like it," she said, rubbing her eyes tiredly.

"You did fine. It takes a while, but you'll get used to it," he assured her.

"I hope so," she said. She closed her eyes, trying to forget everything that just happened, but knowing that she ever could.


	6. Sleeping with the Ally?

Chapter 6

"Ana? Ana, wake up," King said to the sleeping girl. He poked and pushed her shoulder gently, but she would not wake from her slumber. The others had already entered the hideout. King picked her up and carried her to her room. She wrapped her arms around his neck and breathed softly on his neck. She smelled of pineapple and coconut and her cheeks felt silky under his chest. He walked into her room and laid her down on the bed. Her clothes were covered in ash and blood, so he found some pajamas and undressed her. He took off her jacket and put her in a blue shirt with Wonder Woman on the front. He then took her sneakers and pants off, trying with all his might not to get turned on by her semi-naked form. He managed to put her into a pair of short cotton boxers with stars on them. He picked her up again and tried to tuck her into bed, but she refused to let go of him.

"Ana, come on, let go," he said.

"No," she protested sleepily, "Stay with me." He buried his face into the pillow, knowing that he was going to regret this in the morning, but not caring. He took his shoes and shirt off and climbed into her bed. She wrapped her arms around his neck once more and sighed. He put his arms around her waist and brought her closer to him. He ran his hands through her downy hair and watched her sleep, praying to the heavens that what was happening wasn't a dream.

* * *

Ana felt something warm on her cheek and opened her eyes. She saw skin. She looked up and saw King's beautiful sleeping face. She sat up quickly, wondering why King was in her bed with his shirt off. She squinted, faintly remembering him tucking her into bed and her telling him to stay.

"You are an idiot!" she said to herself. She scratched her head, knowing that she really couldn't be that mad at him. She turned to him, watching him sleep. His rosy lips were parted slightly and his hair was unruly, making him look like a little boy. She lied back down. He smelled like laundry and Old Spice body wash. She nestled closer to him and sniffed his wonderful scent. She told herself not to get attached to anyone, but King was making it really hard for her. She knew she needed to stay away from him, but she couldn't help it; he was so adorable. He was a like overgrown kid. He was so funny and cute, and she knew he could protect her. She saw the way he was so attached to Abby, as if they were brother and sister, and how happy he made Zoë and the rest of the Nightstalkers. She wanted desperately to trust him, but there was something that was holding her back. Something inside of her had snapped when she found out about Christina's betrayal. They had promised, when they were five years old, that they would never lie to each other and that they would always depend on one another. She didn't want to be disappointed. She didn't want to trust King and then have him lie to her. But her resolve was weaning. She reached out and ran her hand through his soft hair. She trailed her finger from his forehead, down his nose, to his lips. She smoothed her finger over them and felt him exhale. He brought his left hand up and gripped her hand softly, still asleep. She lowered their intertwined hands and continued to watch his peaceful face until she fell asleep once more.

* * *

King awoke, squinting at the sunlight shining in his face. He looked down and saw that his hand was intertwined with Ana's. He leaned and kissed her forehead lightly. He climbed out of her bed quietly, put on his shirt, and crept out of her room, stealing one more glance at her sleeping figure before he closed the door. He walked to his room silently and exhaled, relieved that Ana hadn't woken up and gone ballistic.

"Ahem," he heard someone clear their throat behind him. He turned slowly and saw Abby and Sommerfield standing there, knowing smiles plastered on their faces.

"If you really want to know, the answer is yes, we did have sex," King vulgarly joked.

"You wish," Abby said, scoffing.

"Don't you know it," he said back, leaning against the wall.

"She'll come around," Sommerfield said in her typical wise manner.

"How do you know?" King asked, trying to hide his eagerness.

"I know, just be patient," she replied with a smile.

* * *

It had been a while since that night, and Ana obviously didn't remember what happened because she hadn't mentioned anything to King. She was, however, been much nicer to him. They would sit in the kitchen and talk for hours about everything and anything. He loved the fact that she always listened to him, hung on every word. She didn't make fun of him for his love of foreign films and candy. And when she talked, he was completely entranced. Her voice was warm and soothing; it wasn't girly or high-pitched and annoying. She spoke slowly, as if she could sit there and talk to him for all time. She would even teach him how to speak Spanish, and would tell him stories about her family in Costa Rica. He was really falling for her.

"Maybe Somme was right," he thought to himself.

* * *

Ana woke with a jerk, startled out of a nightmare. She had been having them lately, especially after hunts. It was a rainy night, and the lighting cast shadows inside, making everything look eerie. She felt a little wary and didn't want to be alone. She got up from her bed, grabbed her blanket and pillow, and walked into Zoë's room. She watched the little girl sleep and brushed her bangs from her face. She then knocked on King's door, hoping he was awake. She heard voices inside speaking in an unfamiliar language and knew that he was probably watching a movie. She heard him get up from his bed and walk over to the door. He was wearing blue flannel pajama bottoms and a black wife beater.

"Hey," he said to her.

"Hey. Can I sleep in your room?" she asked him.

"Sure. Did you have a nightmare?"

"Yeah. I just don't want to be alone."

"It's alright." He reassured her. She dropped her pillow on the floor and lied down, covering herself with her blanket. He looked down at her with an amused expression.

"You can sleep in my bed," he said to her.

"It's okay."

"I not gonna molest you or anything. I'll even draw a line. You stay on your side and I'll stay on mine," he teased. She gave a look as he picked her up and placed her on the bed.

"Isn't this better than the floor? And now you have me to keep you company," he said as he tickled her. She laughed quietly and tried to push him away. He grabbed her waist and hugged her, inhaling the smell of her coconut-scented hair. She relaxed and draped her arms around is neck, closing her eyes sleepily.

"Just like before," she said, a knowing smile tugging at her lips. King's eyes widened in shock.

"You are so busted," he thought to himself, grabbing Anaïs closer and drifting to sleep.


	7. LOVE

Chapter 7

"King, behind you!" Whistler yelled. King turned and saw the vampire running towards him. He pulled out his electronic pistol and the vampire exploded into ash as the Sun Dog pierced its body. He scanned the area, taking in the action. The Nightstalkers were doing their nightly routine of vampire hunting. He continued to look around until his eyes landed on Anaïs. She loaded her gun and shot a vampire in the face in one quick, fluid motion. She had learned so much and had become just as good a fighter as Abigail and himself. She had been with the Nightstalkers for a little over a year and she had become like family to all of them. Zoë and the rest of the Nightstalkers totally adored her, she and Whistler were like sisters, and he….he loved her. He loved her to death, but he couldn't bring himself to tell her. King knew that she had grown more comfortable with him, but she always seemed to keep a certain distance from him, and that killed him. He would do anything for her, absolutely anything. He only wished that she would just open up to him completely, that she would trust him.

Anaïs turned her head and met his eyes. She gave him a little nod, signaling that there was a vamp behind him. He crossed his left arm over his chest and shot it clean, without even glancing backwards. Anaïs raised an eyebrow at him and smirked.

"Showoff," she mouthed at him. He grinned and shrugged sheepishly. She rolled her eyes and continued to fight. He watched her, absentmindedly hitting and shooting random vampires, not missing a single one. King hit a vampire with long hair, but it just stood there, staring at him angrily. He hit it again, but this time, the vampire smacked him upside his head.

"Ow, what the-," he turned and saw that the vampire was really Whistler, an annoyed look plastered on her face.

"Pay attention, dummy. They're all dead," she said, punching him in the arm for good measure. Anaïs quietly laughed behind them as she unloaded her gun and put it in the strap around her waist. King rubbed his right arm, a pout forming on his face. The trio walked back to the car, exhausted from the scuffle. They drove back in silence, as usual, too tired to converse with each other. They arrived at the Hideout and walked inside tiredly. They saw Zoë at her usual spot and they all waved. The little girl ran up to Anaïs and grabbed her hand.

"Hey, girlie, what's up?" Anaïs said as she picked her up to give her a piggy back ride. Zoë wrapped her arms around Anaïs's neck and placed her chin on her shoulder.

"My mommy just bought some pizza," Zoë said.

"Good, I'm starving. I have to go shower first," Anaïs answered, as she twirled the girl around. King perked up when he heard the last few words that had come out of Ana's mouth. Whistler noticed and smirked at him.

"You are so damn obvious," she said to him.

"Not to her," he mumbled, looking a little sad.

* * *

Everyone had gathered in the kitchen to eat and drink. Abby had set her ipod to shuffle and random dance songs were playing through speakers. King was halfheartedly eating his slice of pizza. Even though he was hungry, he couldn't keep his mind off of Ana. He had never felt like this about anyone before. Every time he saw her, he felt like he wanted to blow chunks. His heart sped up and his breathing quickened. He felt dizzy, but happy. He loved her so much but it was like she was always out of his reach.

She entered the kitchen wearing a white camisole that made her dark skin glimmer, black track pants, and pink flip flops. Her long hair had been cut to her shoulders in a shaggy bob and her dark, wispy bangs hung in her eyes. She grabbed a plate and some slices and sat down next to King. He watched as she picked the pepperoni off of her pizza and put it on his plate. He smiled at their little ritual, remembering that she didn't eat meat.

"It's so inhumane," she had told him, "I feel so guilty." She went to the fridge and took out a packet of shredded cheese, grabbed a handful, and dumped it on the slices. She then put her plate in the microwave. Everyone had gotten used to Anaïs's weird eating habits, but they were still pretty strange.

"That is so gross," Abby said to her as she chewed as piece of pizza. Ana just rolled her eyes and pretended she hadn't heard her. King sat at his chair, looking oddly pensive. Abby ruffled his tousled hair, but he ignored her.

"Hey, you okay?" Ana asked, placing her chin in the crook of his neck. Her cheek felt balmy and smooth.

"Yeah, sure," he said, turning his head to look at her. Her beautiful hazel eyes looked like pools of warm honey and were framed by thick, curly lashes. She draped her arms around him and gave him an affectionate hug, enveloping him in a cloud of sweet, powdery perfume. He closed his eyes, savoring the brief moment before she let go. He got up from his chair and put his plate in the sink. King walked back to his room and unintentionally slammed the door. He sat down on his bed and exasperatedly ran his fingers through his hair.

"Why does she do that?" he asked himself, "Why does she tempt me like that?" he got up and walked up to his dresser. He opened a drawer and pulled out a wife beater. He took off his navy thermal and threw it on the floor angrily.

"FUCK!" he yelled, "Fuck, fuck, fuck, fucking fuck!" he put on his shirt and pulled back the covers. He got into bed fell asleep, too angry and too tired to do anything else.

* * *

King woke up, hearing a quiet, distant voice in the hall. He sat up and rubbed his eyes tiredly, trying to figure whose voice it was. He realized someone was singing. He got out of his bed and left his room, following the voice. He arrived at Zoë's door, and cracked it open a little. He looked in and saw Anaïs sitting on the little girl's bed, running her fingers lightly through Zoë's straight hair. Anaïs was singing to the girl, trying to get her back to sleep

_Beside the sea, where the waves roll, I drew a heart for you in the sand_

_In fields where streams turn to rivers, I ran to you, you were there_

He stood behind her, enthralled by her soothing, mellifluous voice. She tucked Zoë back into bed and kissed her lightly on the forehead. She turned and jumped when she saw King. He chuckled quietly and she covered his mouth with her hand led him out of the room. She closed the door slowly and followed him to his room.

"Why are you awake? Couldn't sleep?" she asked.

"No, you woke me up" he joked, sitting on his bed. She crossed her arms and leaned against the door frame. He thought she looked adorable with her messy hair and rumpled pajamas.

"Sorry, Zoë had another nightmare," she said, stifling a yawn.

"I didn't know you sang," King said to her, looking her up and down as she stretched her body. She sat down next to him and leaned her head on his shoulder. King felt like he was going to explode. He couldn't take it anymore. He needed to tell her how he felt; she needed to know that he couldn't live without her. He had lived this past year agonizing over her, whishing he could just kiss her, be with her, and tell her that he couldn't even function without her presence. He turned he his and looked down at her longingly.

"Anaïs.." he started. She opened her eyes sleepily and looked up at him.

"Hmm?"

"I…ummm….."

"Yeah?"

"I……."

"What is it? Why are you stuttering?" she raised her head off of his shoulder and tucked her hair behind her ears. She noticed the King was…..blushing, which is something she had never seen before, and that he was breathing really fast. Her brow knitted in confusion.

What do you need to tell me?"

"I…..I love you."


End file.
